U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the achievement of three significant milestones in the New York Penn Station Transformation Project, with construction expected to begin by the end of 2027. This project is part of a broader initiative by the Trump Administration to enhance American infrastructure.
Secretary Duffy emphasized the importance of collaboration with private sector partners to ensure timely and budget-conscious completion. "We’re rebuilding Penn Station on Trump Time and we are tapping our partners in the private sector to make it happen on time and on budget," he said. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is actively working to cut through bureaucratic hurdles to meet its ambitious timeline.
The project, in partnership with Amtrak, has reached key stages including soliciting a master developer through Amtrak’s Procurement Portal, selecting Public-Private Partnership (P3) advisors Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP as Legal Advisor and KPMG as Financial Advisor, and engaging AKRF as an environmental consultant. A Service Optimization Study has also been initiated to explore passenger service growth at New York Penn Station.
These advisors aim to transform the station into a modern transit hub while developing a P3 strategy for private investment and innovative solutions. Special Advisor Andy Byford highlighted the project's significance: "This will be one of the biggest and most significant construction projects in U.S. history, and we want the most skilled and knowledgeable partners to help make it a success."
In Fiscal Year 2024, New York Penn Station served over 12 million guests, accounting for nearly 18% of total Amtrak ridership and about 45% of Northeast Corridor ridership. It handles more than 1,000 daily train movements across various services.
Earlier this year, USDOT took control of the overhaul from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), withdrawing $72 million in grant funding while announcing a $43 million federal grant for project development.
For further context on recent transportation initiatives, USDOT's Maritime Administration awarded $19.6 million in grants to small shipyards [https://www.maritime.dot.gov/newsroom/maritime-administration-awards-nearly-20-million-funding-strengthen-us-shipyard-economic], while celebrating ADA's anniversary with an Inclusive Design Challenge [https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/anniversary-ada-usdot-announces-winners-its-first-ever-inclusive-design-challenge]. Additionally, new guidance under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aims to prepare communities for extreme weather events [https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-administration-announces-new-protect-formula-program-73-billion-bipartisan].
Information from this article can be found here.
